Oct 11, 2024

2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

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2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Special Education, B.S.

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The Special Education program provides enrolled students with the knowledge, skills, and experience to be an effective educator of students in grades Prekindergarten-12. Courses in the Special Education program are designed to facilitate an understanding and appreciation of individual learner differences so enrolled students can best support the development and academic achievement of learners with disabilities in special education settings, both separate and inclusive. Students enrolled in the Special Education program become transformative classroom teachers able to support diverse populations of learners.

Degree Requirements

Institutional Degree Requirements

Program-Specific Degree Requirements: To be eligible for graduation, students majoring in Special Education must achieve a 3.0 or higher in each of the following six courses: FCO 105 , EDU 260 , MAT 115 , MAT 150 , SPE 201 and either ECH 220 or SE 220 and demonstrate satisfactory progress on identified professional and personal dispositions. Students must achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher in order to be determined eligible for PreProfessional Educator Status and in order to enter the Professional Semester and to obtain Pennsylvania teacher certification.

Students seeking certification in Special Education are required to have a minimum of 190 hours of Field Experience prior to the Professional Semester and must meet specific requirements as determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

General Education Requirement

First Year Seminar

FYS 100 First-Year Seminar 3 credit hours
FYS 102 Common Hour 0 credit hours

Foundations Requirements

Communication course:

FCO 105 Rhetorical Communication 3 credit hours

Advanced Communication course:

Satisfied by major (EDU 260 )

Quantitative Fluency course:

Satisfied by major (MAT 115 or MAT 150 )

American Citizenship course:

PS 101 American Government and Citizenship 3 credit hours

Global Citizenship course:

G 100 World Regional Geography 3 credit hours

Disciplinary Perspectives Requirements

Humanities course:

LIT 200 Introduction to Literary and Textual Studies 3 credit hours

Arts course:

Satisfied by major (EDU 230 )

Social and Behavioral Sciences course:

PSY 100 General Psychology 3 credit hours

Natural and Physical Sciences course:

BIO 204 Exploring Biology 3 credit hours

Constellation Requirement

The Constellation requirement is met when a student completes four 3-credit courses from a minimum of three disciplines within the Constellation requirements. All Education majors, including transfer students, are required to complete the Transformation: Children, the Family, and Development across the Lifespan constellation as part of their General Education requirements.

EDU 225 Instructional Needs of English Language Learners 3 credit hours
SPE 200 Special Education Processes and Procedure 3 credit hours
SPE 270 Literacy Development and Instruction in Core Intervention Areas Including Inclusive Practices 3 credit hours
OR
SPE 271 Literacy Development and Instruction in Core Intervention Areas Including Inclusive Practices 3 credit hours
PSY 221 Child and Adolescent Development 3 credit hours
OR
PSY 223 Early Childhood Development 3 credit hours

Required Courses

A grade of 2.0 is required in all the courses listed below:

Pre-Professional Education Coursework

ECH 230 Early Childhood Theory and Practice 3 credit hours
EDU 200 Foundations of Education 3 credit hours
EDU 230 Introduction to the Arts 3 credit hours
EDU 260 Effective Communication in the Field of Education 3 credit hours
MAT 115 Mathematical Foundations 3 credit hours
MAT 150 Using Data to Improve Decision Making 3 credit hours
SPE 201 Early Field Experience 2 credit hours
SPE 250 Professionalism and Partnerships in Early Childhood Special Education 3 credit hours
SPE 264 Educational Assessment of Students with Disabilities 3 credit hours
ECH 210 Educational Technology for Early Elementary Education 3 credit hours
OR
SE 210 Educational Technology for Middle and Secondary Education 3 credit hours
ECH 220 Instruction and Curriculum Development 3 credit hours
OR
SE 220 Instruction and Curriculum Development in Middle and Secondary Education 3 credit hours
HIS 111 American History from Colonization to Civil War 3 credit hours
OR
HIS 112 American History from Civil War to Global Power 3 credit hours

Professional Preparation Courses

Must attain PPES status to complete.

ECH 301 Literacy and Language for Young Children 3 credit hours
ECH 304 Teaching Language Arts 3 credit hours
ECH 310 Diagnostic Reading & Instruction 3 credit hours
ECH 320 Teaching Mathematics Methods 3 credit hours
EDU 460 Community and Legal Issues in Education 3 credit hours
SPE 300 Effective Instructional Methods and Supports for Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings 3 credit hours
SPE 303 Evidence Based Instruction for Students with High Incidence Disabilities 3 credit hours
SPE 304 Evidence Based Instruction for Students with Low Incidence Disabilities 3 credit hours
SPE 311 Advanced Field Experience 2 credit hours
SPE 312 Advanced Field Experience 2 credit hours
SPE 313 Advanced Field Experience 2 credit hours
SPE 351 Transitions and Career Development in Special Education 3 credit hours
SPE 370 Assistive and Augmentative Technology: Universal Design to Support Standards Aligned Areas of Instruction 3 credit hours
SPE 375 Positive Behavior Support 3 credit hours

Education Elective

Select one credit of electives from ECH, EDU, or SPE.

Professional Semester

Students are required to have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 for admittance into the Professional Semester.

SPE 494 Student Teaching Seminar 2 credit hours
SPE 495 Student Teaching 10 credit hours

Suggested Course Sequence

Freshman Year

Fall Semester (15 credits)

EDU 200 Foundations of Education 3 credit hours
FYS 100 First-Year Seminar 3 credit hours
FYS 102 Common Hour 0 credit hours
G 100 World Regional Geography 3 credit hours
MAT 115 Mathematical Foundations 3 credit hours
PSY 100 General Psychology 3 credit hours

Spring Semester (15 credits)

FCO 105 Rhetorical Communication 3 credit hours
LIT 200 Introduction to Literary and Textual Studies 3 credit hours
MAT 150 Using Data to Improve Decision Making 3 credit hours
PS 101 American Government and Citizenship 3 credit hours
ECH 220 Instruction and Curriculum Development 3 credit hours
OR
SE 220 Instruction and Curriculum Development in Middle and Secondary Education 3 credit hours

Sophomore Year

Fall Semester (17 credits)

ECH 230 Early Childhood Theory and Practice 3 credit hours
EDU 260 Effective Communication in the Field of Education 3 credit hours
SPE 200 Special Education Processes and Procedure 3 credit hours
SPE 201 Early Field Experience 2 credit hours
SPE 250 Professionalism and Partnerships in Early Childhood Special Education 3 credit hours
SPE 264 Educational Assessment of Students with Disabilities 3 credit hours

Spring Semester (15 credits)

BIO 204 Exploring Biology 3 credit hours
EDU 225 Instructional Needs of English Language Learners 3 credit hours
EDU 230 Introduction to the Arts 3 credit hours
ECH 210 Educational Technology for Early Elementary Education 3 credit hours
OR
SE 210 Educational Technology for Middle and Secondary Education 3 credit hours
PSY 221 Child and Adolescent Development 3 credit hours
OR
PSY 223 Early Childhood Development 3 credit hours

Junior Year

Fall Semester (17 credits)

ECH 301 Literacy and Language for Young Children 3 credit hours
ECH 304 Teaching Language Arts 3 credit hours
ECH 320 Teaching Mathematics Methods 3 credit hours
SPE 300 Effective Instructional Methods and Supports for Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings 3 credit hours
SPE 311 Advanced Field Experience 2 credit hours
SPE 270 Literacy Development and Instruction in Core Intervention Areas Including Inclusive Practices 3 credit hours
OR
SPE 271 Literacy Development and Instruction in Core Intervention Areas Including Inclusive Practices 3 credit hours

Spring Semester (15 credits)

EDU 460 Community and Legal Issues in Education 3 credit hours
SPE 304 Evidence Based Instruction for Students with Low Incidence Disabilities 3 credit hours
SPE 312 Advanced Field Experience 2 credit hours
SPE 351 Transitions and Career Development in Special Education 3 credit hours
SPE 370 Assistive and Augmentative Technology: Universal Design to Support Standards Aligned Areas of Instruction 3 credit hours
Education Elective course 1 credit hour

Senior Year

Fall Semester (14 credits)

ECH 310 Diagnostic Reading & Instruction 3 credit hours
SPE 303 Evidence Based Instruction for Students with High Incidence Disabilities 3 credit hours
SPE 313 Advanced Field Experience 2 credit hours
SPE 375 Positive Behavior Support 3 credit hours
HIS 111 American History from Colonization to Civil War 3 credit hours
OR
HIS 112 American History from Civil War to Global Power 3 credit hours

Spring Semester (12 credits)

SPE 494 Student Teaching Seminar 2 credit hours
SPE 495 Student Teaching 10 credit hours